1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is broadly concerned with an improved, continuous process and apparatus for the manufacture of animal feed supplements. More particularly, the invention pertains to such an improved process wherein, in preferred forms, a molasses-based preblend is continuously passed through an indirect thermal interchange continuous cooker and a batch-cooking assembly followed by moisture removal and partial cooling; a dry mixture including vitamins and proteinaceous ingredients is then added to the cooked preblend, and the resultant feed supplement is further cooled and packaged.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Animal feed supplements, as used herein, are manufactured nutritional products intended to supplement the basic forage, hay, grain or other diet of livestock such as bison, domesticated cattle, sheep and horses. Molasses-based feed supplements have long been used to enhance the diets of livestock, particularly cattle. Such supplements are commonly in the form of a solid block and are placed in a stockyard for ad libitum consumption by the animals. Molasses-based feed supplements have in the past been produced on a batch basis. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,749,578 describes a process for the manufacture of molasses feed blocks wherein molasses and other ingredients are mixed, cooked, cooled and packaged on a batch basis. This manufacturing technique is inherently costly and time-consuming.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,482,729, incorporated by reference herein, describes a continuous process for the manufacture of molasses feed blocks which includes cooking the molasses composition in an elongated, indirect thermal exchange cooker, passing the cooked molasses composition through a cyclone separator and serial vacuum tank for removing moisture from the cooked composition. However, this arrangement presents several problems. The molasses starting materials for use with the '729 process must have relatively low moisture contents (generally less than about 25% by weight) and are generally more expensive than other sugar-rich materials with higher moisture contents. In addition, this process utilizes a single stage cooker to cook the molasses mixture. In order to effectively cook the molasses mixture, the operating temperature within the cooker must be relatively high, approximately 320° F., thereby running the risk of scorching the molasses mixture within the cooker leading to expensive downtime and cooker maintenance.
Accordingly, there is a real and unsatisfied need for an improved continuous process for the manufacture of animal feed supplements which employs lower cooking temperatures and allows for the use of less expensive carbohydrate-rich starting materials with relatively high moisture contents when compared with highly refined molasses.